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Arab Words in the Spanish Language
What are some Spanish language words? Arab words began finding their way into the Spanish language up from the south of Spain around the 8th and 9th centuries. The region of Andalucía, once known as Al Andalus, was the center of Arab and Muslim culture in the Iberian Peninsula. When the Christian Reconquista (Reconquest) by the Kingdom of Castile occurred in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries, former Arab-speaking regions found themselves speaking Romance dialects and contributing many of their words to the various languages. Below you will find examples of this influence that are still in use today.
aceite: oil
aceituna: olive
alcohol: alcohol
alfombra: carpet; rug
álgebra: algebra
algodón: cotton
almohada: pillow
almuerzo: lunch
asesino: assassin
azar: luck; chance
azúcar: sugar
azul: blue
baño: bath
café: coffee
cero: zero
droga: drug
hasta: until
jarabe: syrup
jarra: pitcher or other pot with handle(s)
jirafa: giraffe
lima: lime
limón: lemon
loco: crazy
naranja: orange
ojalá: I hope; I wish that
rincón: corner
taza: cup
zanahoria: carrot
As you can see, the Spanish language is a diverse language that has influences from all over the world. Throughout your Spanish language-learning journey, see if you can spot other ways in which Spanish has been influenced by the world around it!
Link to article: http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/233217/arab-words-in-the-spanish-language#.VZ-zckYhF2A#q233217
What are some Spanish language words? Arab words began finding their way into the Spanish language up from the south of Spain around the 8th and 9th centuries. The region of Andalucía, once known as Al Andalus, was the center of Arab and Muslim culture in the Iberian Peninsula. When the Christian Reconquista (Reconquest) by the Kingdom of Castile occurred in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries, former Arab-speaking regions found themselves speaking Romance dialects and contributing many of their words to the various languages. Below you will find examples of this influence that are still in use today.
aceite: oil
aceituna: olive
alcohol: alcohol
alfombra: carpet; rug
álgebra: algebra
algodón: cotton
almohada: pillow
almuerzo: lunch
asesino: assassin
azar: luck; chance
azúcar: sugar
azul: blue
baño: bath
café: coffee
cero: zero
droga: drug
hasta: until
jarabe: syrup
jarra: pitcher or other pot with handle(s)
jirafa: giraffe
lima: lime
limón: lemon
loco: crazy
naranja: orange
ojalá: I hope; I wish that
rincón: corner
taza: cup
zanahoria: carrot
As you can see, the Spanish language is a diverse language that has influences from all over the world. Throughout your Spanish language-learning journey, see if you can spot other ways in which Spanish has been influenced by the world around it!
Link to article: http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/233217/arab-words-in-the-spanish-language#.VZ-zckYhF2A#q233217
Photo used under Creative Commons from auggie tolosa